Bench dog question

Ok fellas I’ve been thinking this over all day and I want to know what y’all think about it. I am about to make the holes for my bench dogs in my new bench top. I have decided I will drill 3/4” holes for my bench dogs to go in. I was going to buy 3/4 inch dowels and make my bench dogs out of that but then I thought, why can’t I just buy 3/4” diameter bolts and use those as my bench dogs? I know they will be exactly 3/4” wide so they won’t jiggle around and the head will prevent it from falling all the way through. Also since the head is a hexagon I will have a flat edge on my bench dog to rest against my work piece and keep my work piece from slipping around it. It sounds simple and effective but I haven’t heard of anyone using them..also is there a general rule of thumb for bench dog placement? I know I need one in front of my vise but what works best for you more experienced woodworkers? Dogs evenly spaced 2” from the edge?

Thanks,Maroon

-- "Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone." -- Pablo Picasso

Many bolts are now made with rolled threads, not cut threads. When they roll them the dies press a groovein the bolt, and also raise some metal up to form the peak of the thread, this means that the shoulder orunthreaded part of the bolt will be less than 3/4”. Not trying to nit pick, but just thought you should know.

I use the dogs that are sold with and for the Black and Decker Workmate. They are excellent alternates for wood or metal dogs, hold tight, don’t harm the workpiece or the planes, and are inexpensive.Might wanna check ‘em out.Bill

Just make sure spacing is less than your vise travel and not so close together you make a Swiss cheese bench. I usually see somewhere in the 3”-4” range for spacing. As far as distance from the front, it seems to be generally agreed that closer is better. Get them too far back and working narrow stock becomes difficult.

-- "My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right." Abraham Lincoln

I’m not sure about the bolts, the steel is scary. I like wood dogs when you will be coming dangerously close to them with plane irons.

However I do love my Veritas Brass dogs because they have a texture that grips like crazy but it’s still made out of a soft metal. Hitting one will do more damage to the dog than to your steel blades. I know, Ive done it. Lol.

Not only can metal dogs be harmful for your tools, they dent the wood. All preference of course. A fellow LJ made these dogs for me. I love em. Don’t under estimate the convenience of a spring-loaded dog that stays in the hole. Just push it up or down when you need. No moving them around.Pretty easy and cheap to make:

-- www.westfallwoodcraft.com "At the end of the day, try and make it beautiful....because the world is full of ugly." Konrad Sauer